Hatching Day!! (Jayda, or PM for entry)

Mairi was beside herself with excitement. Today was the day!! She'd been helping Daethil take very good care of her egg, making sure that it was always warm and was turned regularly so that the baby didn't get stuck to one side of the shell or the other. Daethil was a very good mother, Mairi could tell that, because she always made sure that her egg was protected before they went anywhere.

All this, of course, made matters even more exciting for the Mithra girl. The egg was going to hatch today!

She knew that the baby chocobo was ready to hatch. She'd felt the movements of the little one inside his egg as he prepared to fight his way free of it in the struggle that would give him the strength to live. Babies were odd that way, birth was difficult so that it would make them stronger. If the birth is too easy then the baby can't survive...

Mairi ran through the Skywing absolutely beside herself with joy and energy. She had Martika land the airship outside the ruined city of Madain Sari so that the egg could hatch while they were on land.

She even opened up the cargo doors so that they could get some natural light into the storage room where Daethil's nest was.

Now all she could do was wait as Daethil watched over the steadily rocking egg, watching for the first sign of a crack.

She did it again....


She was lost....


And in another world all together.....


"Dangnabit!!" Jayda Kinneas was stomping through the brush by this time and sorely frustrated with herself. How did she miss Alexandria!? How does one miss an entire castle!? Well, when one was Jayda Kinneas.... it wasn't all that hard to get lost.


"Wut Ah wuldn' geeve fer ah chocoboh righ' 'bout now..." The Balamb gunner grumbled under her breath as she struggled through the brush for the countless hour. She just wanted to see Alexandria again and meet this curious character called Zidane. He sounded rather fun from the talk she heard through out the realms, and she missed that particular kingdom.


Suddenly, a distant rumble within the sky caught her attention and lightened her spirits. It sounded rather close than something just flying by, especially with how quickly it grew louder. Then the source came through the over head of clouds, and Jayda's hazel eyes lit up with hope when seeing just how close to land it was heading. Surely, being that low, the ship meant to land! That meant civilization!! With a "whoop!", Jayda gave a hop and started jogging carefully through the brush to follow the airship's wake.


It didn't take too long for Jayda to track down a massive airship landing in Hyne knows where, and with her usual eager disposition, she high tailed her butt toward it, not even giving thought that those within may be hostile. "S'cuuuzze me!! Any'all thar?? I'mma bit lost in these 'ere parts.... Can any'all tell meh how tah get tah Alexandria?"

Mairi squeeed loudly and went running for the bay doors to the cargo hold of her airship to see who was visiting just in time for this exciting day. "HI HI HI!!!! The baby chocobo's gonna hatch!! Wanna see?" She was running up to the lost cowgirl before Ilserun could grab her arm to warn her to be careful.

They didn't know her, didn't know what kind of person she was... but once Mairi had an idea in her head there was no getting it out, particularly when her excitement regarding babies came into play. For reasons Ilserun could not understand, the Mithra girl adored babies of all sorts.

The dwarven woman nodded to their new guest. "Welcome to the Skywing. I believe we'll be grounded for as long as it takes for Daethil's egg to hatch, but once that is done, I see no reason why we couldn't see to getting you to Alexandria."

Mairi was already pulling on the cowgirl's hand, trying to get her over to see the chocobo hen and her egg that was sitting in the nest they'd built and was slowly rocking back and forth from the efforts of the chick inside. "Come see! Come see!! This is so exciting!!"

People! Oh was Jayda so relieved to find people! Especially when first seeing a child with striking pink hair and a pair of ears at the top of her head! Quite a remarkable race that Jayda had never come across before, but the little girl's open enthusiasm was a most welcome sight to see. And an added surprise about a chocobo hatching to boot!


Jayda waved with an excited smile as she approached, just as a dwarven looking figure appeared with the child. She was openly friendly with Jayda, which lightened her own spirits as well. "I'mma mighty oblig'd fer yer help! Name's Jayda.... an' Ah'm as lost as moogle inna veggie market!"


But the little girl's enthusiasm was not about to ignored. Jayda was delighted by her taking her hand and wanting to include her on such a miraculous moment and giggled as she was pulled along. "Whay Ah seen a good lickin' of chocho hatchin's in mah day, darlin'! No two are ev'r the same. Let's geyt a move on so we don' miss it!" Jayda made sure to keep up with the cat girl's pace, knowing it was never wise to reign back a child's excitement about something.

Madain Sari normally is left empty and devoid of life other than the moogles that watch over it like small guardians of sorts, true a patrol of troops go to the area once a week to make sure the place is not being bothered by anyone due to reverence for the long lost race of Summoners. Today though instead of a patrol a trio had taken up the job of checking on the site this week, the group consisted of two children and one adult who obviously didn't enjoy having to be babysitting THESE particular kids.

Everything was going rather well till the sound of an airship had interrupted their task of studying the Eidolon Wall for any signs of tampering, it was the adult to take action first by quickly rushing off to see what was going on here. After getting on some high grounds the man used his stronger than average eyes to get a good look at the situation, after seeing another person walk to the airship and inside he figured it wasn't a danger but they should check it out. He quickly returned to the children and told them what was going on and informed them on what to do, this caused the male child to say "Well it will be more interesting than looking at ruins all day.......so lets just go already..." "Me bored too....want to do fun stuff me do...." said the female one in a odd clicking voice.

The adult sighed at hearing this but figured it was okay since at least they would follow, and so the trio made their way out of the ruined village and toward the airship that was parked not too far away. When they reached it they looked inside of the cargo hold but did not go inside as the adult then said "Guten tag liebchens" "Speak english....." said the male child before staring at the women and chocobo in the cargo hold with his bored red eyes.

The adult sighed a bit before trying again "Zorry......good day ladiez.....I hate to bother you but vhy have you landed zo close to Madain Zari? I have to ask zince it iz our job to check up on the area thiz veek to make zure it iz ztill zafe from harm. Oh yez my name iz Victor Dunkelheit and these two children are Repede Le Fey and Vonvon Le Fey." Victor waited politely for a response while Repede looked bored as Vonvon stared at the others curiously.

Mairi giggled and pulled Jayda over to where the egg was rocking in the nest. Daethil sat near it, watching with infinite patience as her chick struggled to break free of his shell. It was a challenge that he had to meet himself. She could not aid him in this.

She and Mairi had already done what they could. Now it was up to the unborn chick.

Ilserun looked up from where she was watching the event unfold to see the two males, one adult and one child, come wandering up to just outside the cargo doors. She nodded at the question posed by the adult of the two. "We landed because the little one," she indicated Mairi's pink and blonde head, wanted the chocobo chick to hatch on the ground and not in the air." She paused for a moment. "I have come to realize that a great many things with her don't follow conventional logic... but there is method to her madness."

Mairi called out, her eyes never leaving the rocking egg. "I heard that, Ilserun!" She waved distractedly at the others. "The baby's hatching! He's really hatching! I wonder what he'll be like!"

Jayda smiled down at the child's enthusiasm, feeling her own lured out by it as if shaking off Jayda's fatigue from wandering about lost for so long. But a chocobo hatching was also a rare treat to see of late, and it too, brought out more of Jayda's giddy nature. She watched with awe and exhilaration as the tiny beak barged through the cracks of the egg, causing it to waver from side to side. But nothing was going to discourage the newborn from entering the world now. Chocobo's were fiercely determined from the very start, and this little chic proved to have the same gusto.


Even more voices distracted Jayda for a brief moment as she turned to see newcomers who appeared to be asking questions to the woman Jayda had spoken to as well. She also saw youngins with adult and waved them over eagerly to watch the event with them.


"This 'ere 'aint nuthin' ya'd wanna miss! Comm'on ov'r and see! The lil' critter's just breakin' thru the egg now!"

Jayda then turned and chuckled with a beaming bright smile back to Mairi who was obviously as eager as a kid in a candy store. How she remembered feeling the same when she too was so young and watching her own first chocobo hatching with her parents. Jayda was quite a bit younger at that time than Mairi was, and Irvine had to keep his daughter in his arms to keep her from helping with the hatching. In Jayda's youthful mind, she was terrified the chic was dying through it's struggles and wanted to help it before it was too late. It wasn't only a lesson in chocobos Jayda learned that day, but a lesson in trust that her father knew darn well what he was talking about as the chic emerged from its shell victoriously on its own.

Obviously, this little girl already knew of such things, which Jayda chalked up to her being older, or educated in such things. So without concern that the chic would be disturbed, Jayda relaxed and sat upon the ground to simply enjoy such a rare and enjoyable moment of innocence.

Victor was happy that the reason these people where here was due to something as innocent as a chic being born into the world, it meant he didn't have to do anything hostile toward anyone and so he simply nodded his head and said "Ja ja I knov hov odd a child'z though processez can be, it iz quite alright if that iz the only reason you landed." Victor soon heard the little one let out excited cries of how the baby was hatching and smiled as he chuckled gently before inwardly wishing that the children he was with were like that. Sure one of them wasn't really a child at all and was excused by that fact, but the other was a real child far younger than the pink haired one and yet still acted so coldly.

It was then that the oddly dressed female started to talk and she had a rather thick accent though to Victor it wasn't really worth noting as he wasn't any better, but for the one called Repede it was a reason for him to let out a groan of annoyance as he thought 'Why the hell do I have to be around adults that can't talk normal......ugh...' He soon walked over to a wall near the exit of the cargo bay and leaned against it and stood there, it was clear he wasn't going over there but Victor was curious since well he never seen a chocobo hatch and it might be interesting. Vonvon also wanted to go over there but only after she got a nod from Repede did she start to follow Victor over to the nest, Victor looked down at the egg and kept silent as he stood there like a statue. But Vonvon's eyes were darting all over the place as she looked closely, her mouth slightly opened in an O shape which did sadly show her sharp teeth off but she was behaving and simply watching as her insect brain tried to process what she saw.

Repede had at first didn't want anything to do with the hatching but he was sort of curious so he woke up Yami and had it stretch along the walls and kept to the shadows, it soon moved to a place just right and a single red eye looked down at the nest and let him see from there......he was gonna look but like hell if he would let others know that....

The egg rocked dramatically for a moment, very nearly falling out of the nest and there was a resounding CRACK! heard through the cargo hold as the first fault line appeared on the shell of the egg.

Mairi squealed with delight. "He's breaking through!!! He's breaking through!!" She was practically bouncing with energy and delight, though the chocobo hen merely watched with patient calm.

It didn't take long for a hole to appear on the top side of the egg and a small beak emerged to breathe air for the first time before beginning to rock inside the egg with even more energy than before.

"Come on, baby," Mairi said, still bouncing with energy, "you can do it! I know you can do it!!" She was trying her very best not to hold her breath, but she wanted so much for the baby to finish hatching so that they could welcome him to the world and find out what kind of chocobo he'd be.

Jayda wore a sweet and welcoming smile upon her face when the other adult appeared with a little girl who's eyes were wide with wonder before they even arrived to the nest. She gave a friendly wave and nod to the gentleman, but waited to introduce herself for later since the excitement of the hatching was taking all of the moment right now. She just adored watching children's reactions to such wondrous things, which not only lightened Jayda's own heart, but also a reminder to her that such sweet joy and innocence still existed in troubling times.


The resounding CRACK! may have been small, but due to the anxious silence, it caught every ear and Jayda's full attention again. Her memory of such a day played out as she watched the hatching unfold. "Daddy!Daddy! Look!!" Jayda pointed with an excited finger as her other arm held onto her father's shoulder as he continued holding her in his arms. "He's commin' out tah play wiff me right!?" she giggled and practically squealed in her enthusiasm. Irvine's smile grew as he too, chuckled by Jayda's enthusiasm. "That's quite right, Jayda. I told you he would. And he'll know exactly who are the moment he breaks free because you talked to him everyday while he was inside the egg..." Oh how Jayda couldn't wait! How she did talk to the egg everyday, even took her naps beside it, becoming the chick's best friend before it was even born. Her brother often teased her, saying she was going sprout feathers of her own someday, but Jayda ignored most of the teasing. "Ahm'mma gonna teach 'im ev'rythin' daddy! How tah run fast! How to go peckin'! Ev'rythin'! Ah'm gonna luv him ferever!" As the chick continued its struggles, Irvine chuckled again and gave his daughter a light kiss on the head while replying with a near whisper. "I know you will, Jayda. Just as me and your mother love you, I know you'll be the best to love the chocobo, too"


The pent up tears in Jayda's eyes weren't of sadness this time. Sure she missed her parents terribly, but such memories warmed Jayda's heart as to how much she truly was loved by them. And how could one possibly be sad now being surrounded by Mairi's joy awaiting to hold her new found friend. Her cries of delight echoed through the air, and it was as if the hatchling were encouraged by this, and struggled even harder after its beak emerged from surface. "Won't be long now, darlin'!"

(I gots permission to jump ahead in the lineup)

Mairi practically quivered with energy as she watched the hold in the eggshell grow larger from the struggles of the chick inside. "Come on, baby, you can do it..." she was speaking to the chick as she'd done more than once while she and Daethil waited for him to be ready for this day. "You're a little fighter, I know you are..."

The egg rocked dramatically again and split right down the center, falling open and dropping the birth-damp chick on his back on the ground with an inconsiderate thump. The little chocobo chirped as if to say "How rude!" and then rolled over and sat for a moment, catching his breath.

Mairi was practically holding hers as she looked at the little chocobo. He was so cute! His baby-down was the same silver-gold as his momma, though he had darker spots on the tips, and there were two dark stripes down his back. There was no telling what his feathers would look like as he got older, though.

Finally the chick stumbled to his feet and took a few cautious steps forward, chirping curiously at all the people around him.

Victor and Vonvon winced slightly when Mairi started to let out high pitch squeals of delight but after they adjusted Victor was chuckling slightly with a smirk as he watched the young girl, he was amused by her enthusiasm while Vonvon simply ignored her and kept her two eyes locked firmly on the egg while her mouth kept an perfect o shape. Sure enough the egg was starting to crack open and the sound of the chocobo cheeping was coming out of the hole it made with its beak, Vonvon's focus quickly directed on the hole and she wanted to reach out to touch the egg but didn't since she figured she wasn't suppose to touch it.

Repede was paying close attention as well since he never seen anything hatch out of an egg, sure he seen Vonvon burst out of her cocoon when she grew up but that isn't the same really. When the chick finally did get out of the egg Repede figured the show was over as his shadow retracted back to him and he went to sit outside with a bored expression, Vonvon though moved her head closer to the chick and started to sniff it a slight bit her nose not too far from its beak. All the while Victor said with a soft smile "Velcome to the vorld little one."

When the chick sprung free from the egg's confinement, Jayda's hands flew over mouth as she too, squealed with delight and joy over it's successful birth into the world. By his first initail reacion, Jayda giggled hysterically, predicting this little chick was going to grow up with a very bold attitude and take on the world with a bit off arrogance to his strut. With faint appluase of her hands, Jayda even reached out to give the young girl a very tight embrace. "He did it! Congratulations!!


When Jayda's attention turned back to the tiny chick, now all she could do was 'awwww' as if she were a small child all over again. Her heart swelled with abundance of joy as he cocked his little head to and fro, trying to take in and understand his surroundings. Oh yes... he definately would have a bold streak in him. One with virtually no fear and could take on the world if given the freedom to do so.

The chick heard Jayda's laughter and tilted his head to the side, looking at her first with one eye and then with the other, curiously. He stepped forward for a moment and looked at her again.

Mairi giggled and reached for a bag that she had hidden off to one side and handed it to Jayda. "Here, he used a lot of energy and might want something to eat. You wanna show him how to eat?"

Watching them with infinite patience, Daethil crooned softly, encouraging her brave little son forward into the world. She had done her part, guarding him while he was in the egg, but he would have to live his own life on his own terms.

The chick moved closer to Jayda, cheeping curiously at her and watching her with bright little eyes.

Victor figured they best get back to work and thus reached down and tapped Vonvon's head to get her attention, he then motioned for her to follow him as he then headed toward the exit of the cargo hold where Repede was. Victor then looked over his shoulder to the group and said "Vell ve vill leave you ladiez to help the little one get use to being out of itz zhell." Vonvon turned to look at them a bit too before waving goodbye then saying "Bye pink girl, Funny voice lady, short lady, and birds. Me liked meeting yous."

Victor face palmed when he heard the names Vonvon called the others while Repede just smirked a bit before turning away and walking out as he said "Hurry up, our job is to protect the ruins not play with them. At least the ruins have pictures of Summons to look at....." Victor gave the group an apologetic look before he left with the children to get back to their job.


[All I could make with what I had to work with. If you want to talk to them again just go find them but till then I out.]

Jayda was beyond words.... and nearly beyond breath. But when the chocobo chick hobbled it's first steps toward her, a choking squeal could be heard in her own throat. And he already showed such signs of curious boldness, twitching his tiny head from side to side to examine her. With a very careful, steady hand, Jayda allowed one fingertip to rest upon the chick's head for a gentle little rub of its still damp feathers.


She wasn't at all surprised to see the young girl was fully prepared for this day when she presented a small bag of food to Jayda and announced that she should she give the chic it's first feeding. Jayda's bright hazel eyes widened in surprise at the bag, and then to the girl's cheerful face.


"Awwah, darlin'... this is YER special day! Whay I know yew jus' been waitin' an' waitin' with yer heart nearly 'bout to explode fer this day, so it ought tah be yew that gives the lil' dickens his vera first meal...."

Mairi grinned at Jayda and pushed the bag into her hands. "No, you feed him." Her eyes glittered with humor and something deeper. She often presented a very shallow front to the world, interested only in having fun and causing trouble and innocent cheer... but she was much more aware of things than she often let on and she knew that Jayda was here for a reason.

The chick noticed the bag and cheeped curiously, turning his head to look at it with one eye and then the other. He looked up at his mother for a moment, who clucked encouragingly to him. Then he fluffed up his quickly drying feathers and walked forward, cheeping at the two females. He was very curious about what was in that bag.

He decided the matter himself by grabbing hold of the bottom of the bag with his beak and tearing a hole in it, which caused the feed to fall out onto the floor. He looked at the grains, trying to figure out what they were.

Mairi had to giggle at that sight, which caused the little chick to fluff up his down feathers and shake them at her, which caused more giggling, which caused him to try to run at her, but he tripped on a board and landed beak first in the pile of food...

He righted himself, opening and closing his beak experimentally and then suddenly proceeded to devour the food, completely distracted from Mairi's giggling at him.

"He's so cute!!"